


I'll see you (in December)

by Underthegallowws



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Best Man, Disney Movies, Fluff, M/M, Mason and Corey's wedding, Suits, taxedos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28327464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underthegallowws/pseuds/Underthegallowws
Summary: “And that’s a problem?” Liam asked, like a man on a mission, ready to do anything to save this wedding.“No. Not at all. It’s more… How am I gonna put that? Hum. Okay, better rip off the bandaid.” Mason took a long breath. “Corey’s best man is Theo.”
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 12
Kudos: 75





	I'll see you (in December)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Auddieliz09](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auddieliz09/gifts).



> This is my Christmas gift for the amazing Autumn that I love very much !

Liam adjusted his tie for what felt like the hundredth time of the day, smiling as people were flowing inside the room. The lanterns were burning bright, illuminating the tables with a warmth that seemed to weigh even more, as the snow was starting to pile inside. Mason’s mother approached him, hugging him tight, her eyes still red, and he laughed. 

“That’s so beautiful!” She said, looking around in awe. 

“What can I say? Mason has style.”

She gently punched his arm. “I know you spent two days decorating this place. Don’t lie to me, Liam Eugene Dunbar.”

Liam allowed himself to look around, enjoying the way the flowers matched the tone of the bright wood under his feet. It was beautiful. More than beautiful, in fact. It felt like a dream. But every time he noticed a detail, every second he breathed the crispy air coming from the door, his brain seemed to hurt a little bit more. Because every single piece of this had been talked about for months. And not with anyone.

Without thinking about it, Liam’s eyes ended on the other side of the room. Wearing a matching grey suit,Theo was welcoming Corey’s friends, a smile on his face. He looked the same as he always did in public. In control. At ease. And still, it felt wrong to Liam

“Well, it’s not like I was alone. I had help.”

* * *

_ Six months before _

“For real?” Liam forced the words out of his tight throat. “Mason, if you are making fun of me…”

“For real!” His best friend answered, before laughing, gleefully. “I did it! I don’t even know how, or why but… It just felt right, and he was so happy, and…”

“You are getting fucking married!” Liam laughed, a weird noise escaping his mouth as the feelings were blooming in his chest. He hugged Mason tight, coming around the news. “Fuck Mason, it’s happening! It’s finally happening!”

“I know! Oh my god. This is… This is big, Liam. So big. And… I know it’s crazy but... “

“Crazy?”

“Yeah.” Mason breathed out, breaking the hug but keeping his hands on Liam’s shoulders. “You know how Corey lowkey doesn’t really like Christmas, right?”

Liam nodded, even though he didn’t really understand the point. It was the beginning of July, and Christmas had never been so far away from his mind.

“Well, we kinda figured… You know… We could make it something good. Something he would look up to.”

“You… Want to get married on Christmas?” Liam asked, frowning. “Like, next Christmas, right? In a year and a half?”

Mason bit his lips, but the joy was still visible in his eyes. “You know I start my internship next January. So we figured… Why wait? Why not go for this Christmas?”

Even with the little knowledge he had about weddings, an alarm started to ring in Liam’s head. “That’s in six months, Mase.” 

“We are not going to plan big things. Just family and friends. On the night of Christmas Eve. It’s totally doable, especially if our groomsmen help with some details.”

Liam couldn’t help but smile. “Groomsmen, uh?”

Mason raised his eyes. “Yeah. You know. I have a question to ask you and all of this.”

“Mase. I agreed when we were in third grade, and you decided that we could never get married because married people split, and that the next best thing was being a groomsman.”

“I had just watched this horrible lifetime movie and it seemed like a great idea. Don’t blame it on a six year-old.”

“I’m not!” Liam said, before hugging him again. “I would love to be your groomsman. And to help. Whatever you need.”

“Good.” Mason said, whispering. “Amazing.”

They split, sharing an excited smile, before Mason’s phone biped. He checked it quickly, and Liam could see something was bothering him. 

“What’s up?”

“Oh. Corey just announced the news to his own groomsman.”

“And that’s a problem?” Liam asked, like a man on a mission, ready to do anything to save this wedding.

“No. Not at all. It’s more… How am I gonna put that? Hum. Okay, better rip off the bandaid.” Mason took a long breath. “Corey’s best man is Theo.”

* * *

Theo… Theo was one of the mysteries Liam hadn’t been able to figure out. When Corey had introduced them, he didn’t expect for the man to be so different from Mason’s boyfriend. Where Corey was open, easy-going, and always ready to lend a hand, Theo was colder, and more prone to mocking people than helping them.

It had taken Liam aback, the first time. When he had announced that he was working as a teacher, Theo had smirked, calling him “Mister Good Pants”. Liam hadn’t known how to react. Which had been a recurring thing, every time they had spent time together.

Liam didn’t have a problem with Theo, per say. In fact, he didn’t have anything bad to say about him. The thing was, Liam didn’t have anything to say about Theo, at all. 

Despite having met a few times, it was really hard to get a reading on Theo. Shaking his hand, and offering him a smile that wouldn’t reach his eyes. He knew for a fact that it was how Theo was, with people, but he also knew that he could be very different, from the way he had seen him interact with Corey. 

Corey and Theo definitely had a peculiar relationship. From what Liam knew, they had met after being placed in the same foster family when they were younger. Neither of them had really offered information about it, but there was something, in the way Corey looked at Theo before saying something, and in the way Theo would discreetly smile when Corey made a joke. 

Liam often said Mason was his brother. But even if they knew each other inside out, there was no competing with what Corey and Theo had. 

* * *

“So. Do you want something to drink?”

Theo had arrived at the coffee shop Liam had proposed a few minutes before, and he was still looking at the screen of his phone, which was pretty rude.

“Hm?”

“Want something to drink?”

“Oh.” Theo switched off the screen. He fiddled in his chair, and looked at the menu. “Hm, just a mocha.”

“Got it.”

Liam was really doing his best, he thought, as he went to the line to get the drinks. He had been the one who had asked for Theo’s number, and he was the one who had explained they needed to talk, to coordinate. He really wanted to make Mason proud, and it meant having to deal with a guy who apparently never learned politeness, then he would deal with it.

“A latte, and a mocha.”

“Coming right up!”

He propped himself against the stand, and looked behind him. He was surprised to see that Theo hadn’t chosen to go back to his phone. Instead, he was reading something on a piece of paper with attention. The light coming from the window next to him was illuminating the table, and Liam had to stop himself from staring. The fact that Theo was good-looking was a well-known fact, and he didn’t really want to be teased about it. 

“Your order is ready. Cash or card?”

Liam paid quickly, before coming back to the table. He gave Theo his cup, and sat on the comfortable leather. His eyes ended on the paper that Theo still had in his hands. The writing was nice, elegant, and Theo had used different colors depending on the words. 

“So.” Theo said, and Liam’s eyes snapped back at him. “What are we starting with?”

“What is the most urgent?”

Theo hummed, and looked at his paper. “I think the suits. It might take awhile if we want tailored ones. And then, the bachelor parties, depending on where we want them to happen, and what we would have to prepare.”

“Okay. So suits…”

“Mason and Corey will be wearing blue, probably royal. We need something to match.”

Liam almost dropped his mug. “You want our suits to match?”

Theo frowned, a bit more reserved. “What?”

“Our suits. You want them to match?”

“I am not deaf, Liam. I just don’t see where the problem is.”

His tone was heavy again, just like the day he had looked at Liam making a fool of himself, and said that good looks were deceitful. Liam didn’t like it, didn’t appreciate being taken for dumber than he was. He was about to say something back, but then, he remembered Mason’s face. Mason needed him to keep his cool. He breathed out, slowly.

“I just didn’t think about it.”

“If you come in with a green suit, Mason is going to kill you.”

“I wouldn’t have chosen a green suit!”

“Sure.” Theo said, a smirk on his face, and Liam thought about how hard it was going to be to not strangle the guy. “So, I think we need to decide what we can do from home, and what we need to meet to do.” He pointed at the first word written in red. “We have the cake tasting”

That’s when it occurred to Liam that Theo’s colorful scribbles weren’t the result of a list put together by chance, but something else.

“You color coded your notes?” He blurted out, and just like that, Theo’s face closed up again. 

“What if I did?” He said, crossing his arms. “What? Did you think that just because some of us didn’t go to freaking college…”

“No. No, I just… Okay. Sorry. Cake tasting?”

Theo didn’t seem really sure of Liam’s attitude, but at least, he went back to his list, and Liam tried his best to ignore what this made him feel. He had expected Theo not to really care, just like the other time he had seen him. But clearly, he had been wrong and he was the one underprepared, so he did his best to listen, taking some notes on his smartphone, and agreeing with Theo’s propositions.

His drink was cold before he had time to take the first sip. 

* * *

They agreed on meeting at Liam’s flat later on, in order to plan the next few months. Theo had only one evening free per week, as he usually worked the nights at a local bar. Which was a good thing, Liam thought, because he would at least have time during the day to run whatever errands they would need. 

Showing Theo around his flat felt weird. They weren’t friends, they were more like colleagues, at least until December, and they needed to work together to make sure their friends would have the best wedding possible.

He hadn’t expected Theo to be so concerned by everything that had to do with the event, and it was a good surprise, because Liam felt over his head already.

“Wait. Didn’t we already say we would go to the tailor on the 15th?”

“No. We are going for the shoes. Tailor will be… On the 18th.” Theo said, checking his paper. “And you need to ask Mason about the candlelights…”

“Because it takes three months to order. Got it.”

“I’ll grill Corey on whether or not they expect long speeches.”

They worked for almost an hour, before Liam checked the clock, and decided he should probably offer Theo something more than a glass of water. He ended up grabbing two beers, and they both took a few seconds to rest against the back of the couch.

“I am starting to understand why people usually take years to plan a wedding.” 

Theo hummed his agreement under his breath. “Yeah. It’s going to be…”

"Apocalyptic?" 

“I was going for rough, but sure.”

Liam smiled, taking another sip. “So, what do you usually do on your free nights?”

Theo shrugged. “Depends. See my friends. Watch movies. Read. Go for a walk.”

“Cool.”

They were back at square one, with Liam driving the conversation, and Theo only answering with short sentences. Which was normal. And okay. Liam tried to convince himself.

But then, Theo checked one of their notes, and a small smile appeared on his face, as he was correcting something Liam had written, his handwriting proper, and regular. 

_ Maybe not square one. _

* * *

“So I think this is it for tonight.” Theo finally said, and Liam answered with a satisfied sigh. 

“Good.”

Theo nodded, and started arranging his notes, as Liam finished his beer. “I didn’t think it would take so long.” 

The bartender laughed. “Yeah, I feel like this is going to be a nightmare.”

“The things we do for the people we love.” Liam said, with a smile.

“Game of Thrones? Seriously? Are you wishing for a Red Wedding?” Theo snorted, as Liam turned to him. 

“You know Game of Thrones?”

Theo raised his eyes. “Yes, I watched all the seasons. Did you think I was living under a rock?”

“No! No. I mean, I just didn’t picture you liking these kinds of things.”

“Blood, war and torture? Totally my jam.”

Liam laughed. “In retrospect, I should have known. You are more Spartacus than Tangled.”

“... Tangled?” Theo seemed a bit uneasy. “What’s Tangled?”

“Tangled? The disney movie?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.” 

“Oh. I mean, it’s for children, but…”

“I don’t think I have ever seen a disney cartoon, to be honest.”

Liam gasped. “A cartoon? A cartoon, Theo? Oh my god. No, it’s not a cartoon. It’s animation!”

“Same difference.” He said, putting the notes back in his bag. “Never saw the appeal.”

“Surely, when you were younger…”

Theo stopped moving, and Liam bit his tongue a bit too late. “Sorry.” He said, quickly. “I didn’t think…”

“It’s okay.” Theo obviously lied, a fake smile on his face. “It’s alright.”

Liam nodded slowly. The silence was heavy, now, and Theo was clearly speeding through his task. Liam didn’t want their meeting to end on a bad note, and he was looking for anything to talk about that would at least ease the mood.

“How is the business?”

Theo stilled again. “The business?”

“The bar. Lots of people still?” 

“It’s full every night.”

“Cool. Cool. And…”

Theo sighed. “Look, Liam. We don’t have to do small talk. We don’t have to be friends. We just have to go through this for our friends, and after that, be civil to each other. I don’t expect more than that.”

Liam didn’t answer. Maybe because that had been what he had in mind when Mason had announced the news. But since then, he had started to know Theo a little bit more, despite not trying to. And after working with him for hours, it was hard not to. In fact, it might have been Liam’s problem, an inability not to get attached to anyone who would be nice to him for a few seconds. Mason had often told him he had too big of a heart. 

So, if Theo only wanted them to be partners in the planning, and nothing more, Liam would agree with it. 

“Okay. Got it.”

Theo left with a goodbye, and he left a taste of regrets in Liam’s mouth.

* * *

“Are you sure about grey?” The saleslady asked, a frown on her face. “It’s… Really bland.”

Liam was trying not to look around. The place was upscale, and he hadn’t even checked the price tags yet. But Theo had chosen the place, and now, he was taking the lead in the conversation.

“Yes, grey. And we are the best men, not the newly wed. Our job isn’t to stand out.”

The woman didn’t seem convinced, but Liam agreed with the idea. He chimed in. “They will be wearing blue. Grey is good for us.”

“If that is what you want…” She said, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Do you have an idea of the style? Are we looking for something traditional? What about the price?”

Liam had only bought once suit in his life, in Walmart, and it had been for a job interview. He had absolutely no idea how to choose a good one, and he wasn’t certain Theo had more experience than him. 

But to his surprise, Theo grabbed another piece of paper from his bag. “We need light grey tuxedos, buttoned up. The color needs to be a little metallic, that would look better. And the ties should be blue. We’ll have a dark blue flower in the buttonhole. Concerning the style… Maybe not the same one. We can have different ones, but we need the colors to be the closest possible. Liam will probably prefer something comfortable, and recent. For me… Whatever complements it the best.”

The sales lady seemed impressed, and Liam was glad Theo wasn’t looking at him, because he was impressed too, and Theo had made it clear he didn’t expect any feeling coming from him. So he followed them around, as the woman showed them different models. 

“What do you think, Liam?” Theo asked, after a while, considering one of the tuxedos. 

“Uh, the color is nice?” Liam tried.

He could see the amusement in Theo’s eyes. “The colors are nice? Every single one we have looked at is this color. If you don’t know anything about suits…”

“I know things about suits!” Liam said, always quick to prove anyone wrong. “Like… This is a really good suit.” He said, looking at the price.

Theo hummed. “Okay. Yes, that’s a good suit.” His fingers moved against the fabric, and he closed his eyes. “It is nice quality.”

Liam looked at him, wondering why the man was feeling the suits. But before he asked, Theo grabbed his hand, and put it next to his. “Just feel this.”

It felt nice, indeed, the fabric soft, and rich at the same time, and Liam found himself playing with the hem of a sleeve. “It’s nice. Really nice.”

Theo was still smiling, and looking at him. “I… I don’t know anything about tuxedos, to be honest.” He said. 

“Me neither.” T heo answered. “I just spent a night reading about how to find a good one.”

Liam opened his mouth, ready to answer, but he was taken over by the need to laugh. They were both catastrophes waiting to happen, and at least, he felt like none of them had the upper hand. Theo laughed with him, and when they both were able to talk again, he grabbed the suit.

“Let’s go try them.”

* * *

“Liam?” 

Theo’s voice echoed on the other side of the door, but Liam didn’t feel like leaving his couch. “Just come in!”

He heard the door of the flat open, and Theo’s careful steps. “In here!” He added, trying to arrange the papers in front of him, but his eyes focused on one of the grades he had just written down. “No, that’s not right.”

“Hey.” Theo said, closer than Liam expected, and he felt his neck crack as he tried to look at him.

“Hi. Sorry, didn’t expect you so early.”

“It’s past seven.” Theo answered, checking his watch with a frown. “Am I…”

“No, you’re good, you’re good. I’m the one who is late.” Liam sighed. “Fucking finals coming up, and these kids aren’t ready.” 

Theo hummed, sitting next to him, and grabbing one of the essays. He seemed to read it, taking his time, nodding at some sentences, and flinching discreetly at others. When he was done, he put the paper on the table. 

Liam couldn’t help but notice the way he looked way more approachable, seated on an old leather couch, wearing his uniform, his hair a bit mussed. “...So?” He finally asked. Theo shot him a look, and Liam pointed to the essay. “What’s your opinion, Teach?”

He saw the smile at the corner of Theo’s lips, quick, and almost too easy to miss. 

“Well, this one clearly did his research.” Liam nodded. “On wikipedia.” Theo added. 

“... Sorry?”

“He left one of the references. Just there.” Theo pointed out the sentence, and Liam quickly checked it. “Damn, you’re right.” Theo puffed his chest a little bit. “Yeah, I know, I’m a natural.”

“You’re way too smart to bartend.” 

* * *

Before they were totally done, Liam found himself going to the kitchen and grabbing two more beers. He also made sure to put the bag of popcorn in the microwave. He knew his plan was risky, and would probably going to end up in an incident, but a part of him felt the need to try.

He went back to the living-room, and offered one of the beers to Theo. The man looked at his own half-empty drink. “Uh, thanks, but I already had…”

“You’ll need one.” Liam said, before underlining one of his notes. “I think we are good.”

“We probably are.” Theo answered, reading the page in front of him, and Liam sat back into the couch, grabbing the remote. He quickly clicked on the selection, and took a sip of his beer. Theo was watching the screen, confused. 

“What…”

“Look, they want a fairytale wedding, right? Well, you can’t plan a fairytale wedding if you’ve never seen a fairytale.” Liam started to rant. “And it’s okay, I know you didn’t exactly have time to. So I’m offering to show you only the best of the best. Consider it a crash course or something.”

Theo didn’t answer. He looked at the TV, where the castle was slowly being illuminated, as the name of the company was appearing. 

“You… You want me to watch a cartoon?”

“It’s not a cartoon! Well, it is, but it’s more than that.” He paused the movie, and turned to Theo. “It’s one of my favorites. Hercules.”

For a second, a smirk found its way on Theo’s face. “Seriously? The history teacher likes Hercules?”

“Shut up.” Liam answered, with no heat. “It’s good. It’s funny. There are no princesses, no prince charmings, but it’s everything a movie should be.”

Theo seemed to ponder the idea, and Liam added. “I’ve got popcorn. And beers. If you really don’t like it, you are free to leave at any moment. Or if you have something else planned. Oh. I didn’t really think about that. Do you…”

“I don’t have anything planned.” Theo said. His face was unsure, but his eyes were still on the TV. “I just never… What if I don’t get it?”

“What if you don’t get what?” 

“You know. .” Theo shrugged. “The magic. The part where everyone thinks it’s amazing. I don’t really have anything to compare it with.”

Liam swallowed. He tried not to think about a young Theo, in some random family, not offered to watch a Disney movie once. He didn’t want to imagine what life was like, and how much it must have sucked. His emotions must have been written all over his face, because Theo coughed lightly. 

“Please don’t.”

Liam offered him a puzzled face, and Theo sighed. “Don’t think about it. I’ve had enough of everyone’s pity for awhile now.”

“It’s not…”

“It is. It is pity. And I know you think well, and you don’t mean to, but it is. Did it suck? Yeah. Do I wish I would have found one of those great families they show on Ellen? Sure. But it was okay. I survived. I met Corey, and we both made it. And yeah, there are things I never experienced, like watching one of those, but I did other things you probably didn’t. So, if you are offering only because you feel bad…”

“I’m not.” Liam quickly said. “I’m not, I guess I just wanted to… Share? This is the one I loved the most as a kid. Used to watch it for days. It just felt right to offer to watch it with you.”

Theo was looking at him with something new in his eyes, something Liam wasn’t able to fully understand. 

“Share?”

“Yeah. That’s what people do sometimes. I mean, I know you said you didn’t want us to be friends, but it seems only fair, as you are going to learn lots of things about me during these months, for you to know a part of me I actually like.”

Theo didn’t react, still looking at Liam’s face. It felt weird, looking at each other in silence. But Liam didn’t want to be the one to break the moment, to break this silence full of unsaid things, and glimmers of hope. So he waited, his face as serene as possible, for Theo to make his mind up.

“... Okay.” The man finally said, grabbing one of the pillows. “Let’s try it.”

And if it felt like a victory, Theo didn’t have to know about it. 

* * *

  
  


Before he knew it, Theo was part of Liam’s routine. They had agreed to meet for coffee every week, and they became regulars of the small shop they liked. Liam often changed his order, but Theo only drank his mocha. Liam didn’t ask about it feeling already lucky he had been getting away with so much. 

On most Tuesday’s nights, Theo would come to Liam’s flat, and they would talk about the wedding, sharing pictures of things found of the internet, and the usual meme that made them think of each other. Then, Liam would get the popcorn, and they would watch a movie. 

On other days, getting a text from Theo became a normal occurrence. It could be something as simple as sharing an info about something concerning the wedding, or just asking each other about a thing they had talked about. Theo rarely initiated the conversation, but he kept it going when Liam did. He had started bringing his own snacks to the movie nights, and even some beers coming from his bar, which were way better than anything Liam could buy.

They had slowly made their way though Liam’s favorite Disney, with a few exceptions. And on one September night, he decided to select one of the movies he had been waiting for. Next to him, only wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt, Theo was hugging a pillow, clearly comfortable enough to feel at ease at Liam’s.

“What’s this one?” He asked. 

“Inside Out.” Liam breathed. 

“What’s about?”

“... Emotions.”

Inside Out was a favorite of Liam, and he usually couldn’t look anywhere but at the screen. Except that this time, he felt the need to check on Theo, and see how he was reacting. In the beginning, his face was stone cold, which was always the case when families were portrayed, but he smiled at some moments, until Sadness touched the wrong memory. 

A shift seemed to operate. At this moment, and until the very end, Theo’s eyes didn’t leave the screen, and Liam often wondered if he was even breathing. He didn’t cry, But when Joy finally admitted that sometimes, Sadness was useful, Liam was pretty sure he had seen a few tears make their way into Theo’s eyes. 

He didn’t say anything, as the film ended. Instead, he grabbed the empty bears, and the bag of popcorn, and went to the kitchen, offering Theo a chance to process whatever he was feeling about. Liam made sure to take plenty of time, but when he came back, Theo’s face was hidden in the pillow. 

He wondered how he was supposed to react. He knew how fragile their friendship was, but a part of him was already attached to Theo, and to all his weird parts. Even if it didn’t make sense, most of the time, Liam was interested, and involved. Because the more he learnt about him, the more the enigma became wider. 

Liam walked slowly on the sofa, and sat next to Theo, looking at the rolling credits. Theo was still hiding, and he wasn’t talking, so Liam did the only thing he could think of. He moved his hand on top of Theo’s head, and slowly petted his hair. 

Theo still didn’t react to that, and Liam took it as a good sign, letting his fingers make their way against Theo’s scalp, in silence, trying to comfort him the best that he could. He had been caressing the hair for a few minutes when Theo’s hoarse voice finally rose.

“Sorry.”

Liam felt his throat tighten. “No. Don’t be sorry.”

Theo finally rose his head, and his eyes were so red that it was easy to see he hadn’t only been shredding a few tears. 

“I don’t know why…”

“Trust me, there don’t need to be a reason. I bawled at this one too.” Liam admitted with a smile. Being able to see Theo so open, so moved, was something he had never expected, and he wondered what that said about himself that he felt a warmth into his chest. “It’s pretty emotional.”

Theo nodded, chasing a lone tear on his cheek. “I didn’t expect a children movie to hit like that.”

Liam hummed. “Yeah, that’s the thing with Disney movies. They hit differently as an adult.” Theo let his head fall back against the sofa. “Do you want a glass of water?” Liam offered.

“Nah, I’m good. Shit, sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever cried in front of a movie.”

“Again, no need to be sorry. It’s all good. It’s cathartic, even.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Theo was looking at the black screen now. “Please tell me there aren’t others like that.”

“Well, there are others that are pretty sad, but none that is so on point.”

“Good.” Theo said. “I mean, if we have to watch all of them…”

Liam didn’t miss a beat. “We have to.”

Theo pretended to sigh, but something in his eyes told Liam he didn’t mind. 

And if the feeling of Theo’s hair against the rough skin of his finger was still tingling, then no one needed to know.

* * *

The tuxedos were ready a month before the wedding. They went in, to try them, but Theo was running late, so Liam found himself in the fitting room alone. He looked at himself, and he had to say that the suit was worth the hype, and the price. it was beautiful, perfectly tailored to his body, and probably the best item of clothing he would ever own. He tried to tame his hair, to no avail, and he was still trying to when Theo rushed into the room. 

“Sorry, sorry, traffic was…”

Theo didn’t finish his sentence, his mouth gaping as he was looking at Liam. It lasted for two whole seconds, until he regained his composure. 

“Hi.” Liam said, with a wave. Theo swallowed, and looked around them, before pinching his nose. “Gimme a sec.” He whispered, closing his eyes.

Liam’s heart started to beat a little faster. What was happening? Was the suit so bad? Did he look like an idiot? Oh, no, they only had one month left there was no way they could find another tuxedo and have it tailored and…

Finally, Theo opened his eyes, looking at him again.

“Is it that bad?” Liam asked with a small voice.

Theo furrowed his brows, before suddenly realising what Liam was thinking.

“No. No, not at all.” His voice was low, way lower than usual. “It’s good.”

“It didn’t look like you thought it was good.” 

“I do. It looks good.”

“Theo…”

And the other man sighed, before walking to him. He stood in front of the mirror with Liam, Theo still wearing his jeans, and a shirt, the difference between them clearer than the day. But Theo forced Liam to look in front of him.

“Can you see it?”

“What?”

“You look really, fucking, good.”

* * *

Liam wasn’t drunk, though he might have been a little bit tipsy. The bachelor party was going pretty well. Not far from him, Mason was laughing so hard that he was almost suffocating, and Liam snapped a picture, sending it immediately to Theo.

He didn’t expect an answer, but he got one a few minutes later. The picture of Corey, in the middle of the dark city , hanging from a street light with a goofy smile made its way to Liam’s library in a click. Only then did he notice the small text with it.

_ I’m gonna need to cut him off. -TR _

Liam smiled, looking at his own best friend, who was sipping one of Nolan’s cocktails.

_ I think Mason has a taste for vodka now. or maybe it’s gin. Or tequila. Who knows what No puts in his glass at that point? -LD _

_ Ask him for one, and find out for yourself? -TR _

_ Nah, I’m good. Had already more than I should have. I am still a man on a mission, and my reflexes need to be super good. I can’t let Mason make an ass of himself. -LD _

To be fair, Mason was a pretty wild drunk. Right at this moment, he had changed the music for one of Shakira’s hit songs, and was moving his hips wildly as the rest of the group was chanting his name.

_ yeah, same -TR _

_ Are you having fun? -TR _

Liam looked at his screen, before taking a few seconds to think. Was he having fun? Yeah, probably. They were all talking and laughing, drinking and dancing. And still, Theo’s name on the screen was calling him.

_ Yeah. You? -LD _

_ Sure. -TR _

* * *

Drunk Liam was dangerous. 

In fact, he was so dangerous that Liam was now walking, in the middle of the night, to Corey’s bachelor party. He had left Mason passed out, at 3 in the morning, and a part of him knew that he was making a mistake, but he couldn’t help it. Not after Theo’s last messages.

He opened his phone, and checked it, rereading his exchange with the other best man. 

_ All of Corey’s friends are here. -TR _

_ It’s a good thing, right ? -LD _

_ Yep. For him. -TR _ _  
_ _ I know I invited them but I kind of wished they didn’t come. -TR _

_ Oh, harsh. Don’t like them? -LD _ _  
  
_

_ Nope. Not at all. -TR _

_ I’m all alone in my corner, serving drinks and pretending I’m having fun. -TR _

_ None of them are talking to you? -LD _

_ Come on, you’ve met me. You would never have talked to me if we didn’t have to plan this whole thing. -TR _

_ That’s not true! If I had been there, I would have definitely talked to you. -LD _

_ Yeah? -TR _

_ Yeah. -LD _

_ Wish you were here. -TR _

And it hadn’t been the first time Theo had said something like that, but it had been the first time Liam had been drunk enough to believe it. 

_ I wish I was here too. -LD _

_ Sucks that’s your bestie has his own gentleman party. -TR _

_ It’s about to end. He is already super sleepy. -LD _ _  
_ _ Am I invited to Corey’s? -LD _ _  
  
_

_ I mean, yeah, obviously. -TR _

_ But don’t you want to sleep? -TR _

_ Nah. Coming to save you from the nasty friends is way better. -LD _

And now, Liam was almost at Corey’s apartment, and he was starting to rethink his whole plan. Was he crashing Corey's party? Did Theo even want him there? Was he supposed to go home and forget about it?

Before he had time to decide, the door of the building opened, and Theo appeared, a few empty bottles in hand. He seemed surprised, and did a double take when he saw Liam.

“... Liam?”

Liam smiled, and Theo put the bottles on the floor, 

“You came?”

“Well, yeah. You told me it was okay?”

Theo nodded, one of his hands rummaging through his hair.

“I just didn’t expect…”

But Liam’s eyes had suddenly caught on something. Something really interesting. Before he knew it, his hand was reaching for Theo’s face. “Is that…”

Theo’s eyes closed at the contact, and Liam wondered why the air around them seemed warmer suddenly. 

“What are you doing?” Theo whispered, his eyes shut, and Liam asked himself the same question. Because now, Theo’s skin felt warm against his fingers, and he didn’t want to let go.

“You have glitter.” He muttered, his thumb slowly making its way against Theo’s cheek. His other hand moved without him having any intention to, and he found himself gently tapping the thousands of small stars on Theo’s face. He didn’t feel the cold anymore, nor did he remember that they were outside, in front of the building. He just wanted the moment to carry on. 

Theo finally opened his eyes, and through the darkness of the night, his eyes burnt a little bit too bright, but he didn’t move, didn’t ask Liam to stop touching him. On the contrary, he took a small step in his direction, bringing their bodies closer.

Liam’s thumb had found the corner of Theo’s lips, and he felt his stomach tighten, as he started tracing the lines there, his own tongue darting from his mouth to lick his lips. Theo felt warm against him, comfortable even, but there was something new in the air.

Well, not new. It had been around them for weeks now, and it felt only right to carry on. He was right over the edge, and he wanted nothing more than to jump. It was a crazy feeling, but one born with time, with laughs, discussions, and shared past.

Theo was blinking slowly, and Liam didn’t move until he saw his pupils check his lips. It was the only reassurance he needed, and he dived in, ready to finally kiss him and put an end to the whole playing around each other.

But before their lips had time to meet, Theo took a step back. 

“... No.”

Liam found himself dumbfounded, his hands still hanging in the air where Theo’s face was a second earlier. Theo crossed his arms, pulling away.

“What?” Liam finally said. “Theo, I’m sorry if I misread…”

He saw the way Theo’s face twitched at that. “You didn’t…”

“It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it.” Liam said, his cheeks slowly flushing. He didn’t feel drunk anymore, only ashamed. What an idiot. 

“I…”

“Theo, I’m sorry. I’ll just leave…”

But Theo interrupted him. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have made it clear…”

“You probably did, and I didn’t get the…”

“Liam. Please.” Theo closed his eyes, but this time, there was nothing close to the open book he had been a few seconds before. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

Well, if there was anything worse than getting rejected, it was probably that. Liam furrowed his brows. “You can’t?”

“I can’t.”

“And why?”

“Liam. Please.”

And a few months before, Liam would have probably let it go, but now, he knew Theo, and knowing that it wasn’t about him not wanting Liam, but something else, was upsetting.

“Just tell me. What is it? Already got a boyfriend? A girlfriend?”

“No. No, I don’t.”

“Then, what, Theo?”

A long silence followed, and Liam wondered if Theo was ever going to answer the question. He was about to just leave, when Theo finally opened his mouth.

“You… You don’t know me. You don’t know who I am, what I’ve done. You have no idea what this would be like, and it doesn’t usually matter to me, but I like you, and I don’t want that for us.”

Liam took a few seconds to stomach that. 

“So you like me, but I don’t know you?”

Theo didn’t answer, and this time, it wasn’t excitement, or happiness in Liam’s body. No, it was the cold blade of rage.

“This is the shittiest excuse I have ever heard.” He took a ragged breath. “I don’t know you? I don’t know you Theo? Honestly? I know you color code your notes. I know how you drink your coffee, how you like your freaking mocha, I know that you don’t like popcorn but love Reese’s. I know you want to learn about everything, how you spend hours on the internet researching freaking tuxedos.”

He tried not to let the anger take the best of him, but to no avail. 

“I even know things you didn’t tell me! I know things I had to discover by myself, like the fact that you pretend that everything is jolly, and that you are dealing with your trauma, when you are obviously not. I know you fucking cried at the idea that sadness was valid, and I know you prefer the Lion King 2 to the original, because of the plotlines. I know… I know that you like having me touching you, despite never asking for it. I know you sleep curled into a ball, and I fucking know you wanted me to kiss you right now, but you didn’t let yourself have it!’

Theo opened his mouth, but Liam shook his head.

“Don’t. If you really think I won’t be able to deal with your worst, then just… Let’s just forget about it.”

Later on, Liam would end up regretting saying this. But at that moment, the resentment was too big to ignore.

That, and the disappointment.

* * *

Not kissing Theo had consequences Liam hadn’t expected. There hadn’t been movie nights anymore, only small coffees and quick texts. Liam had prepared the tables, Theo the walls, and they had ignored each other as well as they could before.

Standing in front of each other during the vows had felt weird, like something wasn’t completely resolved between them, but they had both smiled, playing their parts to perfection. 

Liam’s eyes seemed to always find him in the crowd, chatting people up, and smiling at old ladies. Everyone was so happy, so content. Why couldn’t Liam feel the same?

“Liam!” His mother said, approaching quickly. “Liam, your speech is in ten!”

His hand grabbed the piece of paper from his pocket, and he sighed. He had written and rewritten it so many times that he had no idea what was on there anymore. But he knew, for sure, how the words meant something for him. 

* * *

He tapped on the micro and everyone looked at him. With a smile, he waved. “Hi, I’m Liam, and I’m Mason's best man.

People finished whispering, before giving him all their attention. He tried to breathe.

“I never really believed in fairytales. This idea, that some people find their person, so young, and hold on to them… It seems impossible to me. Maybe it’s the way I’ve been raised, the people I’ve seen when I was young. I really didn’t believe it. And now…”

He looked at the happy couple, embracing each other. 

“And now I’ve seen it. I’ve been a witness of the purest, most obvious love I could imagine. I’ve seen my best friend, my brother, fall in love as a sixteen year-old. And like all kids, like all teenagers, it never occured to me that this, what they had, could last. Last through college, last through adulthood. But it did.”

Mason’s eyes were already teary, but these were good tears Liam decided. 

“Mason, Corey, you have shown me, shown all of us, that this was possible. That true love, the whole soulmate act, is real. And it’s beautiful. It’s incredible. You are incredible.”

He tried not to look at the right of the table, but despite everything, he sensed Theo’s eyes on him. He took a sip of his glass. 

“Mason, I love you man. You’ve been with me through the worst, and the best, and you’ve never given up on me. You are the kind of man I wish I’ll be one day. You are the best thing life ever gave me, and I’m so glad you found your perfect match.”

He looked at Corey then, and he could see the tears hiding behind the smile.

“Corey, I am not going to pretend that I liked you in the beginning.” People laughed on point. “I mean, you have to understand. I used to have Mason for myself, and then you jumped in. And he was head over heels for you. Really was. Used to make playlists on Spotify for every single one of your dates. Made me crazy. I think I would have hated pretty much anyone, but… But what matters is how you gave him everything I wanted him to have. You made him laugh, you gave him the whole boyfriend experience.” There were laughs again, and Liam smiled. “Despite not wanting to like you, I ended up loving you too. I got to know more about you, these last few months…”

And even if he didn’t want it, even if he was trying to refrain himself, he couldn’t help but lock eyes with Theo.

“You didn’t have an easy life, man. And it could have made you angry. Sad. Scared. Most people go through those things, and end up bitter. But you didn’t. You found a way to survive.”

Liam knew he was supposed to look at Corey, at Mason. But Theo’s eyes were burning, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“Surviving is… Surviving is brave. Getting out of a shitty life, and becoming a freaking sunshine is… Is incredible.”

Liam swallowed.

“But you know, Corey. I’m pretty sure Mason would have loved you even if you weren’t the brightest sun he had ever seen. He would have loved you for who you are inside, for all the things you have faced, all the ways you fought. And I think, I really think, that Mason loves even the darkest part of you. Because that’s what love is, and because that’s what brings people together. The moments you share, the secrets you keep. Your history, what made you who you are, that’s what someone loves.”

And finally, Theo seemed to lower his eyes, and Liam was able to look at his best friend. He forced a smile, trying to remember how this was a happy moment. He raised his glass.

“Mase. Corey. You are perfect for each other, you support one another, and I have all confidence that you will succeed in this life. To the newlyweds !”

Everyone echoed his last words, and he took a sip of his glass, as Mason kissed Corey on the cheek, before smiling at Liam with something that looked like a  _ thank you _ on his lips.

* * *

After a round of congratulations, Liam felt the need to get some fresh air, so he escaped the room. When he finally felt the December air around him, he loosened up his tie, and took deep breaths.

“Great speech.” Someone said, behind him, and it was way too easy for Liam to recognize the voice. He forced himself not to turn.

“Liam?” Theo tried again, but to no avail. “Liam?”

“Go. Away.”

“In five seconds. Theo answered, and Liam turned, to ask him what he meant by that, but as soon as they were face to face, Theo grabbed his face between his hands and kissed him slowly, carefully at first, and then, more heatedlely. The kiss went by too fast, as Theo broke it, whispering “five”, his voice rough.

“Fuck you.” Liam answered, grabbing his hair to join their lips again, as Theo laughed against him. “

“Well, if you do know me as well as you think, then you probably know this is still on the table for tonight…”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“Shouldn’t we talk about this?” Theo offered.

“You like me. I like you. Simple. Theo would have probably said something back, if one of Liam’s hands hadn’t made its way under his shirt.

And as Liam finally kissed Theo as slow as possible, he felt the first snowflake of the night fall on his cheek. 

  
  



End file.
